Richard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. (born June 5, 1964) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author best known for writing the
Percy Jackson & the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
series. He also wrote the
Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit
Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series. He helped develop the 10 books in
The 39 CluesThe 39 Clues consists of two series of adventure books, The Clue Hunt and Cahills vs. Vespers, combining reading, online gaming, and card collecting...
series, published by Scholastic Corporation, and wrote the first book in the series,
The Maze of BonesThe Maze of Bones was published by Scholastic on September 9, 2008. The story arc of the series has been established by Riordan, but a collaboration of six other authors will continue to write the story through the next nine books.-Plot introduction :...
. He is currently working on the third books of two new series:
The Kane ChroniclesThe Kane Chronicles is a fictional trilogy by Rick Riordan about the adventures undertaken by Carter and Sadie Kane, the two main characters, in their quest to awaken the sun god,Ra.He is the god of all the gods or the supreme god. It is set in the modern United States, in the same sort of universe...
, which focuses on
Egyptian mythologyAncient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals which were an integral part of ancient Egyptian society. It centered on the Egyptians' interaction with a multitude of deities who were believed to be present in, and in control of, the forces and elements of nature...
; and
The Heroes of OlympusThe Heroes of Olympus is a fantasy book series written by Rick Riordan and based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the sequel series to the Percy Jackson & the Olympians pentalogy....
, which is the
sequelA sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the Percy Jackson series and which focuses on
GreekGreek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
and Roman mythology.Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
Biography
Rick was raised in
San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. He graduated from
Alamo Heights High SchoolAlamo Heights High School is a secondary school located in the city of Alamo Heights, Texas and is the only high school in the Alamo Heights Independent School District....
in 1982 and the
University of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
in 1986, where he double-majored in English and history. Riordan taught English and history, including Greek mythology, in
middle schoolMiddle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
s in the
San Francisco Bay AreaThe San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
and in San Antonio. He was awarded
St. Mary's Hall-UK:* St. Mary's Hall, Coventry, England*Stonyhurst Saint Mary's Hall, preparatory school to Stonyhurst College, Lancashire, England-USA:* St. Mary's Hall at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C....
's first Master Teacher Award in 2002.
As a novelist, Riordan has created many successful series. The multi-award-winning Tres Navarre mystery series, intended for adults, follows the fast-paced adventures of an erudite Texan private eye. Riordan also helped create the children's book series
The 39 CluesThe 39 Clues consists of two series of adventure books, The Clue Hunt and Cahills vs. Vespers, combining reading, online gaming, and card collecting...
; he authored several of its books, including
The Maze of BonesThe Maze of Bones was published by Scholastic on September 9, 2008. The story arc of the series has been established by Riordan, but a collaboration of six other authors will continue to write the story through the next nine books.-Plot introduction :...
, which topped the
New York Times Best Seller listThe New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
on September 28, 2008. His
Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
series features a twelve-year-old boy who discovers he is the modern-day son of an
ancient GreekAncient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
god. Twentieth Century Fox purchased the film rights and released a feature film on February 12, 2010. Following the success of
Percy Jackson, Rick Riordan created
The Kane ChroniclesThe Kane Chronicles is a fictional trilogy by Rick Riordan about the adventures undertaken by Carter and Sadie Kane, the two main characters, in their quest to awaken the sun god,Ra.He is the god of all the gods or the supreme god. It is set in the modern United States, in the same sort of universe...
, which features a modern-day
Egyptian pantheonThe Egyptian pantheon consisted of the many gods worshipped by the Ancient Egyptians. A number of major deities are addressed as the creator of the cosmos. These include Atum, Ra, Amun and Ptah amongst others, as well as composite forms of these gods such as Amun-Ra. This was not seen as...
and two new sibling protagonists. Its first book,
The Red PyramidThe Red Pyramid is a 2010 fantasy adventure novel based on Egyptian mythology written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in The Kane Chronicles series, which tells of the adventures of modern day fourteen-year-old Carter Kane and his twelve-year-old sister Sadie Kane, as they discover that they...
, was released on May 4, 2010; the sequel was released on May 3, 2011. Riordan also created a sequel series to the Percy Jackson books,
The Heroes of OlympusThe Heroes of Olympus is a fantasy book series written by Rick Riordan and based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the sequel series to the Percy Jackson & the Olympians pentalogy....
. Its first book,
The Lost HeroThe Lost Hero is a 2010 fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan and is based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the first book in the series The Heroes of Olympus, the next series about Camp Half-Blood. It was preceded by the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which focused solely on...
, was released in the U.S. on October 12, 2010; the sequel,
The Son of NeptuneThe Son of Neptune is the second book in the Heroes of Olympus series written by Rick Riordan. It was released on October 4, 2011.-Development:...
, was released on October 4, 2011. Riordan plans to expand both series simultaneously. "
The Heroes of OlympusThe Heroes of Olympus is a fantasy book series written by Rick Riordan and based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the sequel series to the Percy Jackson & the Olympians pentalogy....
" will have five books and "
The Kane ChroniclesThe Kane Chronicles is a fictional trilogy by Rick Riordan about the adventures undertaken by Carter and Sadie Kane, the two main characters, in their quest to awaken the sun god,Ra.He is the god of all the gods or the supreme god. It is set in the modern United States, in the same sort of universe...
" will have three books. He also has a cat.
The San Diego Comic-Con International 2010 featured Riordan as a guest. Rick Riordan lives in San Antonio with his wife and their two sons, one of whom is the inspiration for his original character, Percy Jackson.
Series One: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
- The Lightning Thief
The Lightning Thief is a 2005 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which charts the adventures of modern-day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a...
– June 28, 2005
- The Sea of Monsters
The Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief...
– March 20, 2007
- The Titan's Curse
The Titan's Curse is a 2007 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan. It is the third novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Sea of Monsters...
– May 1, 2007
- The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Battle of the Labyrinth is a 2008 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology; it is the fourth novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan...
– May 16, 2008
- The Last Olympian
The Last Olympian is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology by Rick Riordan, published on May 5, 2009. It is the fifth and final novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and serves as the direct sequel to The Battle of the Labyrinth...
– June 12, 2009
- The Demigod Files
The Demigod Files is a collection of stories by Rick Riordan published on February 10, 2009. It is a companion book to the main series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It contains three short stories, titled Percy Jackson and the Stolen Chariot, Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon, and Percy...
– February 10, 2009
- The Survival Guide
- Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades (as part of a World Book Day book) - 2009
Series Two: The Heroes of Olympus
- The Lost Hero
The Lost Hero is a 2010 fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan and is based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the first book in the series The Heroes of Olympus, the next series about Camp Half-Blood. It was preceded by the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which focused solely on...
– October 12, 2010
- The Son of Neptune
The Son of Neptune is the second book in the Heroes of Olympus series written by Rick Riordan. It was released on October 4, 2011.-Development:...
– October 4, 2011
- The Mark of Athena
The Mark of Athena is an upcoming book written by Rick Riordan that is scheduled to be released in Fall 2012. It is the third book in the series, The Heroes of Olympus. It will continue the adventures of the seven demigods of the second Great Prophecy and their quest to stop the giants - the sons...
– Fall 2012
The 39 Clues Series
- The Maze of Bones
The Maze of Bones was published by Scholastic on September 9, 2008. The story arc of the series has been established by Riordan, but a collaboration of six other authors will continue to write the story through the next nine books.-Plot introduction :...
– September 9, 2008
- The Black Book of Buried Secrets – (Introduction) October 26, 2010
- Vespers Rising – April 5, 2011
Tres Navarre Series
- Big Red Tequila
Big Red Tequila is the first novel in Rick Riordan's prizewinning Tres Navarre series. It is a fast-paced crime story about an unusually talented and flawed hero, Jackson "Tres" Navarre, a third generation Texan...
– May 1997
- Widower's Two-Step – June 1998
- The Last King of Texas – January 2000
- The Devil Went Down to Austin – June 2001
- Southtown – April 2004
- Mission Road – June 2005
- Rebel Island – August 2007
The Kane Chronicles
- The Red Pyramid
The Red Pyramid is a 2010 fantasy adventure novel based on Egyptian mythology written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in The Kane Chronicles series, which tells of the adventures of modern day fourteen-year-old Carter Kane and his twelve-year-old sister Sadie Kane, as they discover that they...
– May 4, 2010
- The Throne of Fire
The Throne of Fire is a 2011 fantasy adventure novel based on Egyptian mythology written by Rick Riordan. It is the second novel in The Kane Chronicles series, which tells of the adventures of modern day fourteen-year-old Carter Kane and his thirteen-year-old sister Sadie Kane, as they discover...
– May 3, 2011
- Untitled book 3- (May 2012)
- Survival Guide- (March 20, 2012)
- The Red Pyramid: Graphic Novel- (May 1, 2012)
Awards
- 1998 Shamus Award
The Shamus Award is awarded by the Private Eye Writers of America for the best detective fiction genre novels and short stories of the year....
and Anthony AwardThe Anthony Awards are literary awards for mystery writers presented at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention since 1986. The awards are named for Anthony Boucher , one of the founders of the Mystery Writers of America....
for Big Red TequilaBig Red Tequila is the first novel in Rick Riordan's prizewinning Tres Navarre series. It is a fast-paced crime story about an unusually talented and flawed hero, Jackson "Tres" Navarre, a third generation Texan...
- 1999 Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
for Best Paperback Original for The Widower's Two-Step
- 2008 Mark Twain Award for The Lightning Thief
The Lightning Thief is a 2005 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which charts the adventures of modern-day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a...
- 2009 Mark Twain Award for The Sea of Monsters
The Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief...
- 2009 Rebecca Caudill
Rebecca Caudill Ayars was an American author of children's literature, publishing over twenty books. Caudill's book, Tree of Freedom , was a Newbery Honor Book in 1950...
Award for The Lightning ThiefThe Lightning Thief is a 2005 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which charts the adventures of modern-day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a...
- 2011 Author of the Year by CBC Choice
Further reading
- Art at Our Doorstep: San Antonio Writers and Artists featuring Rick Riordan. Edited by Nan Cuba and Riley Robinson (Trinity University Press, 2008).
External links